Keystone vs Pennsylvanian

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SereneFury

Train Attendant
Joined
Jun 21, 2010
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54
Location
Pennsylvania
I'm curious of a few things as I'll be travelling from Harrisburg to Philly before Labor Day weekend. How full do those trains typically get, and if I want to make my connection to Atlanta in time, which would be the best one to take to avoid the larger crowds?

I've always gone west on the Pennsylvanian, and had business class each time, so I'm a bit spoiled. And as I am a bigger person, coach had seemed a bit cramped when I saw it.
 
I would suggest train 650. It arrives at Philadelphia at 145pm The Crescent departs two hours later. That is enough time for a layover at PHL. If you have Sleeper tickets you can use the ClubAcela. Just show your ticket with Car and Room Numbers. Also there is plenty of food at PHL! Just keep in mind there is no food from outside vendors allowed in the Lounge.

Keystone trains run on-time the majority of the time. I have yet to be on a Keystone train that is late. Trains usually are half full around Noon time. I've found that the Quiet Car is usually empty on the trips I've taken. Harrisburg and Lancaster are the two major stops along the route and plenty of people will start their journey's there. I'm going to say you have nothing to worry about.

One note that you should know is that, there is no Food Service on the Keystone trains.
 
generally the Keystone should be a better bet because it originates in Harrisburg and doesn't have the stretch btwn PITT and harrisburg (Pennsylvanian) to get delayed. even compared to the NER, I prefer the Keystone btwn PHL and NYP because it always seems less crowded
 
jld said:
generally the Keystone should be a better bet because it originates in Harrisburg and doesn't have the stretch btwn PITT and harrisburg (Pennsylvanian) to get delayed. even compared to the NER, I prefer the Keystone btwn PHL and NYP because it always seems less crowded
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The Penny has one of the BEST OTP's on the Amtrak System. There have been times where I'm riding the Penny from PAO to PHL and the train arrives well before the listed departure time listed. So the train sits and waits for the allotted time. It will then arrive in PHL 5-10 minutes early. I don't know how the Dash-8's are doing with the train into PHL. But when I've been on 42, it's always early into PHL.
 
SereneFury said:
And since I'm here...what's the deal with "unreserved tickets"?
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Keystone trains are unreserved. Meaning you can get on the train, but your not guaranteed a seat. This problem occurs on the Rush Hour trains to Philly and Harrisburg and Lancaster. A mid day train you won't have a problem. The only time I've stood is when I'm about to detrain. I've seen a small handful of folks standing from PHL to PAO on trains 647 and 649 which are the 2 most crowded trains to Lancaster and Harrisburg. Leaving at 345pm and 445pm. If your towards the front of the line at PHL, you won't have an issue with getting a seat!
 
Acela150 said:
SereneFury said:
I wish I had sleeper tickets, but the current going rate for a roomette is $419. Definitely out of the budget.
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$419 is actually a pretty good deal if you ask me. That includes, Lounge Access, ALL meals, a bed for the night, a shower, a toilet in your room, and some other goodies!
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Oh, I'm not saying it's not a good deal. I've done sleepers before and they're definitely worth the price. It's just unfortunately not in the budget.
 
SereneFury said:
As it stands now, I have about 4k points, just enough to cover one part of the trip.
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Which part are you considering using it on? Because 4,000 points isn't a lot. Me personally I've been saving since 2006. I started at 0 and currently sit around 60,000 points. Most of which is Amtrak travel. About 5,000 points are from my AGR CC, the rest travel bonuses, and travel. Last year I cracked the select bracket for the first time. This year I'm aiming at Select + but with my finances I doubt that will happen.
 
If you have 4,000 points and really want to use them, why not consider buying another (I think) 1,500 points and that will be good for a one way trip the whole way! But I myself would continue accumulating AGR points until I had enough for a sleeper award. (It's a much better deal.)

You do know those same 4,000 points will get you to Charlottesville or beyond? :)
 
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SereneFury said:
Acela150 said:
SereneFury said:
As it stands now, I have about 4k points, just enough to cover one part of the trip.
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Which part are you considering using it on? Because 4,000 points isn't a lot.
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Either the Harrisburg -> Philly or vice-versa.
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IMO that's a waste of points. The fare is $27 one way between HAR-PHL. So round trip that's $54. You'll earn 200 points for the round trip. I don't know if others will agree with me, but that's my opinion.
 
the_traveler said:
If you have 4,000 points and really want to use them, why not consider buying another (I think) 1,500 points and that will be good for a one way trip the whole way! But I myself would continue accumulating AGR points until I had enough for a sleeper award. (It's a much better deal.)
You do know those same 4,000 points will get you to Charlottesville or beyond? :)
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I really wanted to go into Chattanooga rather than straight to Atlanta, but...

Anyway, is this what you were thinking of: https://amtrakguestrewards.com/redeem/amtrakTravel/a33570 ?
 
No, I believe you only need 5,500 (1 Zone) for East Coast travel. It costs $41.25 to buy 1,500 more points in order to cover your entire trip in one direction. It would indeed be a waste of the points to apply it only for PHL-HAR.
 
ATL is right on the diving line of the zones. But I believe it is in the East. It should be 5,500 points.

IINM the_traveler would know better then me on this. If you chose to redeem from HAR-PHL I *think* it would be 4,000 points. Which is the redemption rate for coach in the NE zone.
 
SereneFury said:
Even a two-zone would be cheaper if I bought the points from the look of it.
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You wouldn't need a two-zone since Atlanta borders the Zone border and thus would be included in the 5,500 1-Zone [east coast] coach travel. Here's the map: https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/common/content/info/zonemap/zonemap.gif The earlier poster was referring to the 4,000 points for NE travel only (up to Lynchburg VA).

You can still book it through AGR instead, but you may end up with your entire current fare in e-voucher form. You can use the e-voucher anytime in the next year. If you need it to last longer than a year, you can book travel for a year from now with it and re-schedule then accordingly (by creating a new evoucher). You won't be able to use the evoucher in the purchase of AGR points.
 
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Ahh, got it. I'm so glad you guys are here. I've been stressing about this trip since the bf and I planned it back in February. I just bought my first home late last year, and learning to truly budget better has been stressful. Then my hours got cut at work. So, I'm trying to cut corners any way I can, so I can maximize my money for the trip itself and not get there and starve, know what I mean?
 
jld said:
SereneFury said:
Even a two-zone would be cheaper if I bought the points from the look of it.
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You wouldn't need a two-zone since Atlanta borders the Zone border and thus would be included in the 5,500 1-Zone [east coast] coach travel. Here's the map: https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/common/content/info/zonemap/zonemap.gif The earlier poster was referring to the 4,000 points for NE travel only (up to Lynchburg VA).

You can still book it through AGR instead, but you may end up with your entire current fare in e-voucher form. You can use the e-voucher anytime in the next year. If you need it to last longer than a year, you can book travel for a year from now with it and re-schedule then accordingly (by creating a new evoucher). You won't be able to use the evoucher in the purchase of AGR points.
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The only problem with having a "paid" reservation and an AGR reservation on the same train on the same date will lead to an "impossible booking", where one of the reservations will get cancelled. IINM if the paid reservation gets cancelled you will not receive an eVoucher. If the AGR reservation get then you just lost your points!

One thing to point out. ARROW the Amtrak reservation system allows bookings 11 Months in advance.
 
In my experience, I think it's a toss-up on whether to take the Pennsylvanian or Keystone train. The Pennsy does offer more legroom (if you happen to sit in one of the Amfleet II coaches), and also features a cafe car. However, the Keystone does tend to be faster (thanks to 110 mph operation on parts of the route), but there is no food service. Either service does the job, however.

I suggest you board the train at Elizabethtown (if possible) and not Harrisburg. E-Town has free parking, has recently been remodeled and upgraded to ADA standards, and is nowhere near as busy as Harrisburg.
 
Just tried to book the Harrisburg to Atlanta part with redeeming my 5,500 points, but it says it can't be completed online and to call. Is that normal??

Or will I have to book the Harrisburg to Philly part separately?
 
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SereneFury said:
Just tried to book the Harrisburg to Atlanta part with redeeming my 5,500 points, but it says it can't be completed online and to call. Is that normal??
Or will I have to book the Harrisburg to Philly part separately?
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Yes, that is normal. Trips requiring connections cannot be booked on-line.
 
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